The second trunk that I found years ago comes with this story. When I saw it on the curb it was full of rags and I do not like dumping stuff on the curb so I took the trunk full of garbage home. Underneath that rags was a completely disgusting molded over ladies purse. Curious me wanted to see what was in the purse before I threw it out so with rubber gloves and a tweezer I pulled the rotted purse apart and found this inside. Along with it was a newspaper from New York dated 1919 and letters from Germany and an old bottle of champagne still corked. It is marked "silver gold" which means a low grade of metal neither silver or gold. Shines up beautifully. You just never know what you might find if you are willing to go a little further...
PS. What would this really be called?

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miKKoChristmas11, 5 years agoTrunkman & Monkey rescue another lost treasure! Oh, what a nice surpise! A Vintage Vanity Case!

Yes, that was my first thought - a 'vanity case', possibly with a rouge pot, a pressed powder tin, a mirror (missing?), and spaces for coins (called 'mad money' by one of my aunts). The round receptacles could have been for coins. The larger round receptacle might instead have been for a rouge pot or for a cake of facial powder. Here are two sites dedicated to vintage vanity cases. Deco-Dame has a vanity case very similar to yours. I provide external and internal views below of this vanity case from Deco-Dame.

miKKoChristmas11, 5 years agoI just enhanced my view! The smaller round wells are for coins. You can tell by the hemi-frame. The central rectangular frame on that side of the purse looks like it once held a mirror. The large lidded round well would have been for rouge or a powder cake. Hard to tell which. If it was for rouge, likely the powder was in a well beneath the mirror. Don't know what the sleeve on the other half of the purse might have held - perhaps a comb, or hankie, or tickets, or paper money. Don't know. Nice!

miKKoChristmas11, 5 years agoJust enhanced another image. No, your mirror is intact. The question is what the small rectangular well on the same side as the mirror is for. Perhaps that was where the powder cake was inserted. Is there anything beneath the ivory-colored 'cover'?

vetraio50, 5 years agoI think there is a space for three types of coins, modelled on the idea of a sovereign case: phone calls ( may well be too early a piece for this), cab fare home? The mirror folds up beautifully! Then there is a space for powder in the round space at right, or is it for 'rouge'? The tablet on the left would be ivory or ivorene and is a space for writing a note in pencil, easily rubbed out afterwards.
The necessaries!
It's a nécessaire!
Voilà!

trunkman, 5 years agoThank you Mikko for you fine and accurate analysis. Indeed the small round rings have springs to place the coins in. If you lift the lid there is a round pink powder puff that has never been used. Actually this was in its original box when I found it and looked like it had never been used. Also the small piece of ivory I always thought would have been a fine place to place a picture of your sweetheart. Great to find out what it is called -- I shall change the title pronto!

trunkman, 5 years agoI reread your comment about the ivory and yes how cute -- an eraser board! The mirror can actually come out completely. Thank you both for your fine comments and links and information and all the fun that goes along with it!

vetraio50, 5 years agoI missed the space for cards on the left in grey! Everything a girl (?) needed!